1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to devices and networks that utilize wireless networks and methods of maintaining access to a portable device when the portable device passes from one access area to another access area for the wireless network. The present invention further relates to methods, devices and networks that allow for wireless portable devices to pass from one hotspot to another and have access information be utilized by both hotspots. Additionally, the present invention also provides a way for the wireless portable devices to pass out of the coverage area of a wireless hotspot and return without having to reauthorize the access of the wireless portable device.
2. Description of Related Art
The emergence of what are commonly called wireless hotspots has increased the mobility of wireless users and allowed mobile users to access network resources without requiring a physical connection to a main network. Many of these wireless hotspots have appeared in several areas, including coffee shops and libraries, and allow users with wireless communication equipment to communicate with local area networks and wide area networks as they move around. These locations that provide the access do so to attract customers or, in the case of public libraries, because they see such access as an extension of their function to serve the public interest. Many of the wireless devices that can access the wireless hotspots can also wirelessly connect to other networks. One format for cellular networks is the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), a standard for wireless communication that runs at speeds up to 115 kbits per second, which can be compared with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) systems having 9.6 kilobit per second speed.
Difficulties can occur when a wireless device passes out of the coverage range of an access point of a hotspot. The device can pass into the coverage range of another hotspot, pass into a coverage area supporting only cellular service or even passing into an area having no wireless coverage. These difficulties can include the difficulty in downloading data when the process is begun in one coverage area and continues in a different coverage area. Another difficulty occurs when a wireless device passes outside the coverage area for a short period and the user must log back onto the hotspot, an often tedious task. Both difficulties can be acute when the wireless data service being provided depends on a high quality of service, such as videoconferencing.
As such, there is a need for a method or mechanism that can create and maintain access of wireless portable devices to wireless hotspots when the locations of the wireless portable devices change. In addition, there is also a need for systems and methods that maintain information about the access of a wireless portable device when the wireless portable device passes to an access area of another wireless hotspot.